


Somewhere I Belong

by Shad3theHunter



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Blaze Sapnap, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Forest Guardian AU, Forest Guardian George, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, time traveller karl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-25 10:14:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30087531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shad3theHunter/pseuds/Shad3theHunter
Summary: George is finally sick of the way his friends have been treating him. He's sick of being treated as though he is weak and that he needs help all of the time. He decides that he is done with everything and he feels as though he no longer belongs with them anymore. They don’t treat him as though he is their friend anymore and it hurts so much. It hurts him so much that he has to make one of the most difficult choices of his life.So one day, after everyone left him behind like usual, George packs up his things and leaves to find somewhere else. What he doesn't realise is that he is more powerful than anyone knows. There is a reason that nature loves him so much. And there was a lost city waiting for their guardian to return back to them.
Relationships: Alexis| Quackity/Karl Jacobs/Sapnap, Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Skeppy/Badboyhalo
Comments: 28
Kudos: 169





	1. Chapter One

He had enough.

He was done with their crap and he was completely sick of the way that he was being treated. They were supposed to be his friends. He knows that he isn't the strongest fighter out of all of them but that doesn't mean he is clueless when it comes to fighting. They kept treating him as if he was fragile and that he would shatter at any moment. They always panicked whenever he got hurt when they know that he heals quicker than they do. They always fought his battles for him when he didn’t need them to and they always scolded him for no reason. He hated it. He wanted to help them on their quests but he was always told to stay behind. They didn't even seem to value his contributions as of late either which always seemed to hurt him the most. George always tried his hardest when he was left on his own and he tried to make their makeshift house feel like a home. He always made sure that they had enough to eat and he made sure that their small farm was thriving. However, he had always been wasting his time. It was evident that they didn't seem to care whether he was okay with being left behind. They didn't care about how lonely he felt when he was left behind by everyone. He knew that he was good at healing everyone but was that he was good for? Being everyone's personal healer?

He had made his mind a few days in advance and he knew that it would be risky. He knew that he wouldn't be missed anymore and he knew that no one would try to find him. So after everyone had left, George quickly packed up what little items he had into his satchel. He left behind the colourblind glasses, along with his usual pair, on top of a small folded note. He made sure that he had enough food and that the campfire would stay lit until they got back. It wasn't easy for him to do this but he didn't feel as though he welcomed into the group anymore. He felt as though he was a leech or parasite by using their resources. He felt completely out of place so this was for the better. After making sure he was ready, George left the makeshift house and decided to head east for the time being. His sword was strapped to the right side of his hip and his satchel sat on his left side. He had taken zero armour with him as he knew they would need it more than he would. The only thing he had taken was a shield and the very few weapons that he owned, which were in perfect condition.

He might get lucky, he may find a village to stay at while he was travelling around. He didn't know where he was going yet but he didn't care. He just went where his feet were taking him and that was good enough for the time being. He started climbing up one of the many hills that surrounded the area and he glances back towards the wooden makeshift house. He would miss it as it had been his home for the last few months. They had planned to build an entire city with the plans they had made together. They had gotten so many involved with the development of the plans and everyone was so excited. George came up with the idea when they first found the location. It was upsetting that he was leaving but he hoped that it would be for the better. He always liked leaving a place in a peaceful state, knowing that it was better than it was before.

George felt something rub up against his leg and he looked down to see a wild wolf sitting next to him. It was strange but he was used to random animals coming up to him for no reason. George didn't have a bone in his bag so he couldn’t really tame the wolf. He didn't need to as the wolf started to lead him towards a small village that wasn't too far from where he was. It wasn't the strangest thing he had seen while he had been living in the area. His crops never seemed to wilt and he had a strange ability to understand the trees in the area. Trees always seemed to thrive better when he was around and he always knew what the trees needed. Whenever he was in danger, a pack of wild wolves always seemed to help him when he needed it the most. Animals always used to keep him company when he needed it and he never seemed to question it. George knew that he wasn’t normal in the slightest, his healing abilities were proof of that, but he never asked any questions about it. He always brushed it off as if it was nothing but pure chance and not because the animals were drawn to him. 

The wolf leads him through a massive oak forest and George begins to slowly feel better, as did the forest. The forest seemed to become more lively and it wasn’t long before four more wolves began to follow behind George. There was still some time before nightfall so George didn’t seem to understand why these wolves were following him. He was used to it by this point and he was grateful for their aid, even if he didn’t currently need it. It was nice to have some company while he was walking and he felt comfortable with the wolves, for some reason he can’t explain. He had decided that he would give them some cooked meat as a thank you for helping him through the forest, towards the village. The villagers wouldn’t appreciate a pack of wild wolves wandering around their village. George soon reached the other side of the forest and he instantly noticed the village in the near distance. He turned to face the small pack of wolves and took out some cooked meat from his satchel for them to share. The wolves accepted the small token of thank you before they returned back to the forest. It seems that the wolves had completed their mission to make sure that George got where he needed to be safely and it felt nice.

George breathed a sigh of relief and gave the forest a gentle wave goodbye. It felt as though the trees didn’t want him to leave but he knew that he had to if he wanted to reach the village before nightfall. He returned his attention back towards the village and he continued to walk towards it, noticing that the sun was beginning to slowly set. He did manage to reach the village and he was offered a place for the night, which he was grateful for. The crops within the village farms began to perk up slightly which confused the villagers but they didn’t seem to question it, believing that crops were having a better day than normal. George settled down for the night and pulled out a small leather book from his satchel. It was a gift from Dream so he could write down what he was feeling and it was a nice gift at the time. He doesn’t know why he kept onto it but he was glad that he did because it allowed him to collect his thoughts when he needed to. It allowed him to rant about anything and everything that was on his mind, which allowed him to feel better afterwards. No one saw what he wrote inside and he wanted to keep it that way for as long as he could.

He wanted to go back but he knew that he was doing the right thing by leaving. George hoped that he would be able to find somewhere he truly belonged, even if it took a while to find that place. He carefully opened up the book and grabbed his quill from his satchel so he could write about the day. If he ever lost his book, he would be devastated and it reminded him of a time when Dream remembered about his existence. He really misses everyone but they made the choice to continuously leave him behind every time they went on a quest. 

George just wished that they cared about him.


	2. Chapter Two

It was shortly after nightfall when Dream returned back to the wooden makeshift house and he was exhausted. It had been a long day of collecting resources and he just wanted to see George by this point. Everyone had been rather busy with gathering the resources for the city that they wanted to build and it was definitely a great idea. Everyone was so excited to get started with the building and Dream was rather excited about the plans that George had made for them. Naturally, they tweaked the plans to fit everyone but it was going to be worth it in the long run. He sighed heavily as he felt the exhaustion creep into his bones and he just wanted to enjoy the rest of the night with George. He felt as though he deserved a small break after today and he knew that George would cheer him up greatly. There was still a lot more to do before they were ready to start building and Dream wanted to make sure that they were all ready for it. Especially George since it was his idea in the first place to build the city. He was so excited to tell George about the progress everyone had made with collecting all of the resources they would need. However, something felt off and he couldn’t seem to figure out what it was

The closer Dream got to where they were living, the worse the feeling got and he didn’t know why he had this feeling in the first place. That was when he noticed that the crops in the farm seemed to be wilting for no reason, even though Dream remembered George tending to them before he left. He has never seen the crops get this bad before and it was concerning, to say the least but that wasn’t the only thing. He couldn’t see any animals in the area that surrounds where they live and there would be quite a few animals on a normal day. The large oak tree that George had planted the first day they got there seemed to be dying when it had no reason to. He watched as a few leaves fell from the tree and he couldn’t seem to understand why because the tree was perfectly healthy. It had plenty of space for its roots and everyone made sure not to cut it down by accident. Something was greatly wrong and Dream got the urge to hurry inside. The feeling in his gut got worse and he quickly hurried inside of the makeshift home, hoping that the feeling in his gut wasn’t true. The campfire was still going, making the inside nice and warm, but Dream wasn’t focusing on that for the moment. 

His wide eyes were fixed on the familiar two pairs of glasses that were on sitting on top of a folded piece of paper on George’s bed. He felt his heart stop and he felt himself become slowly numb to everything he was feeling inside. George wouldn’t have left, would he? He would have told everyone if he was planning on going somewhere, right? Dream didn’t want to believe it until he noticed that George’s weapons, satchel and a shield were missing from that side of the living area. His thoughts instantly turned dark when he began to remember that George was a weak fighter and he could only hope that he had found safety before the mobs came out. The others wouldn’t be back for a long while and Dream didn’t know what he should do in this current moment. He didn't know whether he should wait for the others to get back or go out on his own to look for George with the very little strength left in him. He didn’t know and that was a feeling that he didn’t like. He never liked not knowing what to do and he never liked not having a plan for every single possibility in the universe.

Dream closed the door behind him and threw his stuff onto his own bed before making his way over to where the note was. He sat down carefully on the well-made bed and took off his mask, now that he was safely inside. He was still unsure about showing his face to the others in fear of what their reactions would be. You don’t walk away from an Enderman fight unscathed and he can still remember the feeling of the Enderman slashing at the right side of his face. The scars remain and that fight happened when he was so young because he was trying to protect Sapnap. Only Sapnap knew the reason for the mask but Dream couldn’t help himself when George asked to see his face. He was terrified at first but seeing George’s reaction made it feel so worth it in the end. He still remembered the first time George saw his face and he can remember those words so clearly.

_ “You look better without the mask, Dream.” _

He doesn’t know why those words stuck with him the most, mainly because George was being honest with him or because he knew that George meant what he said. Either way, it helped to boost Dream’s confidence when it came to what he looked like under the mask and it made him want to show the others. He carefully moved the two pairs of glasses off the note and gently picked it up, hoping that it was a simple note stating where George had gone. He hoped that this was all a simple misunderstanding and that George would be back in the morning after sunrise. He hoped that everything was okay. That was all he could. He could only hope. He took a deep breath before opening the note.

_ To whoever finds this note, I’m probably long gone and I know that I wouldn’t have had the chance to say goodbye. I’m sorry for what I’ve done and just know that it was difficult for me to leave everything behind. I just can't do it anymore and I don’t feel as though I belong with any of you anymore. I just wanted to do my part and I only wanted to help all of you with your quests. But apparently, the only thing I was good for was healing all of you and looking after the crops while you were gone. Please don’t try and find me as it’s better off this way. I hope that plans for the city are successful and I hope you can forgive me for what I’ve done. _

  * _George._



No.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. This was never meant to happen. None of this was ever supposed to have happened in the slightest. Had they really pushed him away that much? Did they really make him think and feel like this? Did they really make him feel so fucking useless? Yes, they did. They actively made those choices to leave George behind and there was no denying it. They chose to make him stay behind when they could have used his help in the field. They chose to treat him as if he was a delicate flower that could be destroyed at any moment. They made those decisions so they were to blame for this happening. Dream was angry at himself for allowing this to happen but there was one question that was swimming through his mind. Why didn’t George say anything? Maybe he tried to but no one was willing to listen to him because they were either too tired to talk or too busy to talk. And knowing George, he would have given up after the first try and bottled everything up inside until he couldn’t take it anymore.

Dream crumpled the note up in his hand as he stood up from the bed and, in a fit rage, punched the closest part of the wooden wall with as much force as he could. The wood split on impact and he swore loudly as he pulled his hand back from the dent in the wall. Why had he been so stupid? Why hadn’t he talked to George before this happened? None of this felt right to him. So why had he made those stupid decisions? Why did he have to push George away in the way that he did? Fuck, why didn’t he see the signs that George was unhappy? He couldn’t explain his actions and he thought he was doing the right thing by keeping George safe. He didn’t want to risk it again after what happened last time and he knew that he wouldn’t be able to handle it. It would destroy him from within if Dream ever lost George for whatever reason and they got very lucky last time. 

He quickly opened up the chat bar and typed in a very simple message that he knew everyone would be able to see. He wasn’t going to lose George, not without a fight. He was going to find him even though he was told not to because he likes George more than a friend. He just never had the courage to say something and had been planning on confessing for a while. He was going to get everyone to help him if it was the last thing he would do.

_ Dream: Get back to the house now. We have a major problem. _


	3. Chapter Three

George had awoken some time after dawn and he was feeling better than he had been in a long time. He felt relaxed and he had never felt so free like this before. It was certainly a feeling that he could use and it was definitely a feeling that he liked. One of the villagers had made something to eat after he had woken up which was kind of them to do so. He did notice how happy the villagers appeared to be which was rather confusing to him. It wasn’t until he overheard a conversation about their crops and how it was the best harvest they have had in a long time. He was glad that they were happy with their harvest and he wondered if he was responsible for that. Their crops did seem to improve dramatically and so suddenly after he had arrived. Plants always seemed to grow better when he was nearby and he remembered the way the forest reacted to him from yesterday. He also learned that there were a lot more animals in the area than usual and the villagers were able to build pens for them to stay in. George really wanted to stay in the village longer but he knew that he shouldn’t. He didn’t know if anyone would try to find him and certainly didn’t want to find out if someone had decided to find him.

He knew that there were other villages that he could visit and he was quite capable of building himself a shelter for the night if he needed to or couldn’t find a place to stay at. He hoped the crops would stay healthy and that the animals would stay within the village for the villagers. He knew that he needed to get moving soon and find somewhere else to stay or find a place to set up camp for the night if he needed to. He thanked the villagers for allowing him to stay for the night before he continued on heading east, towards the dark oak forest. The villagers were sad to see him go but they couldn’t make him stay no matter what. George had everything he needed as he continued on walking but he soon noticed the Iron Golem that was following him. He turned around and told it to return back to the village because the villagers would need it more than he would. It seemed to understand what he was talking about and placed a small bag on the ground.

George was completely confused as he watched it head back towards the village and he turned his attention back to the small bag. He carefully picked it up and noticed that it was filled with something but he didn’t know what. He carefully opened it and it was filled to the brim with emeralds, which he wasn’t expecting in the slightest. Was this a gift from the villagers? He hadn’t done anything for them so why had they given him so many emeralds? Does it have something to do with their food supply? It might do but he isn’t certain and he doesn’t want to stick around to find out. He wanted to cover some ground before it started getting dark. He decided to take the emeralds with him since they had clearly been meant for him in the first place. 

He made some great progress and he was able to reach the dark oak forest by noon. He doesn’t know why he wanted to come here but he knew that he could hide out in the massive lush green forest for a longer period of time. He soon heard something behind but when he turned around, there was nothing there but it was evident that something had been there. There were strange hoof-shaped imprints in the soft ground behind one of the smaller oak trees. It couldn’t have been a horse because there were no horses in the nearby area. Maybe one had followed him but he scared it off when he turned around after he had the noise behind him. It didn’t really make that much of a difference to him but it would have been nice if he knew what was behind him. It wasn’t long before he started to wander the forest, looking for a good spot to start building his camp for the evening.

There appeared to be a large lake towards the centre of the forest, where there was a break in the treeline and the sun beamed onto the surface of the water. It was certainly a beautiful place to stay for the time being so George placed his satchel down on the ground. He could grow some crops along the side of the lake and the trees would hide him from anyone trying to find him. It wouldn’t take him long to set up some shelter for the night to help keep the mobs away from him. The only problem was that he didn’t have a bed to use but he was fine with it, as it wasn’t that important. He could always make one at a later date if he decided to stay here for a while longer than he planned. The only worry on his mind was whether he had enough food to last him and whether his crops would be able to survive. He knew that he had some seeds in his satchel from the last time he tended to some crops and the villagers had given him some potatoes before he left. But he couldn’t just live on bread and potatoes for a while. It would allow him to collect some more meat and the animals always seemed to be rather understanding.

George took a deep breath and started getting to work by placing his crafting table down for him to use. He planned on making a simple wooden shack with the materials that he had, knowing that it would do for the time being. If he chose to stay, then he could slowly improve it into something a lot more liveable and something that would last forever. He just needed something to protect him and somewhere to call home for a short while. He only had enough cobblestone to make one furnace which was better than not having one. He could always go mining for some more if he needed it and he may try to search for iron ore while he was out mining. He was unsure of what he should do but he knew that he needed to focus on shelter and getting a small farm started. It was easier to focus on his survival rather than focusing on anything else and it helped to keep himself distracted. He didn’t want to let his mind wander because he knew what he would think about and he didn’t want to think about them anymore. 

After a short period of time, George had completed his shelter for the evening and it certainly wasn’t anything impressive. It would serve its purpose for now and it certainly was different to one he helped to make before he left. He wrapped his arms around himself as the memories came flooding into his mind and he hated it. All of those times they spent laughing under stars as they shared stories from their childhoods while they ate. All of those times they fought off the mobs together as one large team when they cornered or when they needed to fight their way out of mine shaft. Did those memories mean nothing to them? Does he mean nothing to them anymore? If they cared, they would have noticed the change in his behaviour but they never did. They were always too busy and they made any time to make sure that he was truly okay. Every time he tried to protect them, they scolded him and told him not to do it again because he could get hurt. He didn’t understand and he hated the fact that he still cared for them when they stopped caring about him.

He fell to his knees as the tears fell freely from where they had been slowly gathering moments prior. He sobbed his heart out in the forest, completely alone with no one comforting him. He didn’t understand why he was crying because he had no reason to. He had no reason as to why he was feeling like this but he knew one thing deep down.

He was hurting because he would always care about them.


	4. Chapter Four

Sapnap was the first to arrive back at the house and he had managed to get there in record time, considering he was in the Nether at the time when he received the message. The large oak tree had completely lost all of its leaves and the crops had completely died with no explanation as to why. It just happened so suddenly and there was no need for it to happen when they were healthy. He had no idea what was going but he sure as hell didn’t like what was happening. He had gotten a bad feeling shortly after he had left to head to the Nether so they could make their armour stronger. Something was greatly wrong and by this point, Sapnap was afraid to ask what was wrong in fear of what the answer could be. He didn't want to know what it could be and Dream's message appeared so suddenly with no warning. 

Bad and Skeppy were a good few days away from the home so it would take them a while to get back. Karl and Quackity had received the message as they were heading back to the area, which seemed to surprise them but they were still a day away from the house. They only messaged each other if something had happened to one of them or if something was wrong. Sapnap hoped that no one was hurt and that everyone was perfectly safe like normal. It had to be a misunderstanding of some kind but why would Dream feel the need to message everyone? They were so close to finally starting the construction of the city they had been planning months for. 

Sapnap opened the door with so much force that he nearly took it off its hinges but he didn’t care. His eyes landed on Dream who was sitting on the floor, unmasked, with a crumpled note in one hand and blood covering his other. There was a large hole in the wooden wall he was sitting closest to so Sapnap was able to put the pieces together. But he didn’t know what had made Dream so angry until he noticed that George was nowhere to be seen. This wasn’t normal in the slightest and that dark feeling only grew stronger the longer he stood in the doorway.

“Hey Dream,” Sapnap called out to his friend with a small wave. Dream didn’t turn to face him but he knew that his friend recognised that he was there. “I got the message and I thought that George was here. Do you know where he is?”

“I don’t know,” Dream stated, his voice sounded distant and hollow. It was as if he wasn’t even in control of himself and his mind was completely blank. “He wasn’t here when I got back a day ago.”

“So why did you message everyone?” Sapnap questioned in a confused tone. It wasn’t like George to head out without one of them going with him so where he could be? It was possible that he had only gone to a village or went to gather some more items for them. Has Dream just overreacted?

“Because he left this note,” Dream answered, keeping his eyes trained on the campfire in front of his feet. His anger had long since faded and he just felt completely empty without George by his side. He hadn’t even treated his busted up knuckles yet from when he punched the wall. “He’s not coming back, Sapnap.”

Sapnap felt everything around him stop suddenly. George had left? And he wasn’t coming back? No, that wasn’t right. He wouldn’t do that to them because they were friends, right? Dream held out the note for Sapnap to read for himself. He quickly read the note and it had felt as though someone had kicked him in the stomach. George had really left them and he wasn’t coming back no matter what. No goodbye. Nothing. He just collected his things and left because he believed he was useless to them. Because he had felt as though he was forgotten by everyone and that he didn’t belong with them anymore. How could he have forgotten about one of his best friends like that? How could he have done something like this without knowing? They were trying to protect. They thought they were doing the right thing but they did more and more damage over time.

“I have no clue where he has gone,” Dream said. “But I plan to find him and may need some help in trying to find him.”

“Did we really make him feel like that?” Sapnap mumbled.

“He wouldn’t have left if it wasn’t true,” Dream simply stated. “What the fuck have we done? We should have allowed him to help us when he kept asking.”

They knew that they had no right to feel guilty over their actions but it hurt to know what George thought. But they were going to fix everything if it was the last thing that they did and Sapnap promised himself that he would never let this happen again. He was going to make it up to George when they found him but they needed to regroup before they went out looking for him.

“You should probably get your hand cleaned up,” Sapnap commented when he noticed the dried blood and the fact that Dream had left it untreated. “You don’t want it to get infected because George will get mad with you if you let it get infected.”

Dream chuckled lightly at the comment and he started to remember all of the times George would scold him for getting hurt or for coming back with injuries. He never liked it when anyone got hurt while they were gone and he wasn’t able to help them. They both remember the time Karl got seriously hurt after a difficult night of fighting off mobs and they thought he wasn’t going to remember. It still gave Dream shivers as he remembered when he watched George place his hands over the injury and watched the injury slowly knit itself back together. Karl was fine and it was as if the injury was never there in the first place but George passed out afterwards. That was the time when they found out about George’s healing abilities and how he had basically saved Karl’s life. Everyone was so worried after he passed out but he did wake up an hour or two later with very little memory of what he had done.

Sapnap had never seen Bad so excited before and it was nice to see that Bad wasn’t the only magic user of the group. George just stated that he had been able to heal people since he was a kid and that it always drained him afterwards. Thankfully, Bad was understanding and it wasn’t long before he was helping George with his magic. As George’s magic grew stronger, his healing abilities became much stronger and he learned how to create small barriers in case he didn’t have a shield or his shield broke. They all still remember that day they nearly lost him because he used most of his magic to save them by creating a powerful barrier. Something that would have killed George if it wasn’t Bad using his own magic to stabilize him. Sapnap still remembered how broken Dream was, how terrified Karl was and how concerned Quackity was. He and Skeppy made sure that there were no other mobs in the area while Bad focused on saving their friend.

From that point, they all vowed to protect George by doing whatever they could to keep him safe. They just didn’t realise what their actions were doing and they never realised how George was feeling about the whole new situation. George never remembered what happened that day but they all remembered for him. They still remember how they all stayed up all day and all night, just waiting for him to wake up. They still remember how Karl would sit beside his bed, reading books out loud in the hopes that it would make him wake quicker. They still remember how Sapnap threw himself into training with Quackity so they could make sure that it never happened again. They still remember how Skeppy would constantly watch over Bad as he recovered from stabilizing George and how Bad would constantly make sure he was still alive. They still remember how Dream never left his side in fear that he would disappear and how tightly he held his hand, praying that he would wake up soon.

They just wanted to keep him safe. 


	5. Chapter Five

Something had been watching George from the darkest depths of the forest and it was waiting for the right time to show itself. It had been drawn to him by the pain it was able to feel from him and it didn’t like the pain it was feeling. It felt sad for this strange person that it had not seen before and it wanted to get closer. It wanted to offer some form of comfort if it could but it didn't know who George was. The scent was familiar to the creature but he didn’t look like its previous owner. He seemed smaller and looked much more human, but the scent was the same. It glanced around the area and carefully stepped out of the darkness into the light of the setting sun. It would be dark soon and the creature knew about the mobs that wander the forest at night. It made the decision to protect this small person and elegantly ran towards the large lake, towards the small shack that had recently been built on the other side.

It ran beautifully across the surface of the water before leaping gracefully on to the top of the small shack. It could hear the small person inside moving around as it sat down, surveying the surroundings for any form of a threat. George had heard it land on the roof and he instantly knew that it wasn’t an animal. He slowly reached for his sword and made his way towards the entryway to see what was outside. He got the surprise of his life when a head popped down from the roof and he fell backwards onto the ground. He watched as a strange creature jumped down and stood in the entryway of his small shack. The pair stared at each other before the creature’s eyes lit up and its ears perked up. George watched as it came closer to him and he noticed that it appeared to be a mix of different animals. He didn’t know what type of animals and he was afraid to ask.

It appeared to look like a quite large fox but it had two tails, a small set of wings that were folded in and a pair of small antlers. It was evident that this creature wasn’t natural and it nuzzled its face against George’s cheek. Its fur was very soft and it was appearing to be purring gently as it nuzzled him with joy.

_ “Master!” _ The creature spoke with a child-like female voice.  _ “I smelt your scent and felt your pain so I came to see you. You look smaller from the last time I saw you and I did what you said by staying where you left me.” _

“What?” George questioned. He had no idea what was going on and he wanted some answers as to what this creature was. “Who are you?”

The creature pulled away and looked down at George with large emerald green eyes, that reminded him of Dream’s. It was as if it was slowly studying him and his features which made him feel slightly uncomfortable. It suddenly clicked with the creature that her master must have been reincarnated sometime after he had left her behind. Her ears dropped and she lowered her head as she sat down in front of George.

_ “You’re not him, are you?” _ She said sadly.  _ “I know that you smell like him but you’re not him. He must have died after he left.” _

“No, I’m not,” George stated as he slowly sat up. This creature was much larger than him but he felt at ease for some strange reason. It was as if he knew who she was but he couldn’t remember why he felt as though he knew her. “But who are you? I feel as though I have met you somewhere before.”

_ “Oh?” _ The creature stated as she slowly began to perk up at what she heard.  _ “My name is Poppy and I’m a spirit of nature. Master gave me that name because he said that my fur was as red as a poppy.” _

“I’m George,” He said with a small smile. “It’s nice to meet you Poppy and I’m sorry that I’m not who you thought I was.”

_ “It’s okay,” _ Poppy said, seeming to be much happier than she was just moments ago.  _ “I kind of figured that something must have gone wrong when he didn’t return. But now, I’ve found you and you must be a reincarnation of Master because you smell just like him.” _

“What do you mean?” George asked, finally getting some answers to the questions that swam around in his mind. Poppy seemed to know more about him than he knew about himself and she seemed happy to have found him. “What do you mean by I’m a reincarnation of your former owner?”

_ “Well, Master was a forest guardian,” _ Poppy started to explain.  _ “He had this unique ability to help nature thrive and animals would always find their way to him for no reason. My job was to be his protector and to watch over him as he helped heal those who needed healing. He was from an ancient race of forest people who live out of sight in the darkness of the forests, away from the humans. Whenever a forest guardian dies, they are reincarnated but it can take many years for the reincarnation to appear.” _

Okay, that was a lot of information to take in at once but he was glad that she was explaining things to him. A lot of things were slowly beginning to make sense to him and he was finally beginning to understand why he felt as though he never belonged anywhere. He believed that he was normal when he was younger even though no one knew where he had come from.

“And you believe I’m his reincarnation?” George questioned and watched as Poppy nodded her head excitedly. “Oh wow.”

_ “Yep,” _ She simply said.  _ “I’ve never felt the forest become so lively before and the trees are starting to look a lot healthier since you appeared. The forest has slowly been getting its energy back which means that the animals will soon return to the area again.” _

George was having a difficult time piecing everything together and his head was beginning to hurt. He soon noticed that it was rather late and he was starting to feel quite tired. Poppy seemed to pick up on this and gently nuzzled against his face again. She wasn’t going anywhere because now, she had to protect George. She felt him nuzzle his face into her fur and she began to purr again as it seemed to help him to relax. George may not be the one she knew two hundred years ago but she is glad that she was able to find him when she did.

_ “You should probably get some rest,” _ Poppy suggested.  _ “It’s very late and I can tell that you are exhausted.” _

George groaned but didn’t argue with her because he was too exhausted to argue with her. Poppy shifted slightly so her body was laying down behind him so he had some form of warmth for the night. She watched as he curled up close to her and she used her twin tails as a blanket for him so he wouldn’t be cold. She laid her head down on her two front paws, making sure to keep an ear open for any signs of trouble. She could hear George’s steady breathing and she finally felt at peace with herself. She didn’t even fail to miss the sentence that he gently mumbled under his breath as he drifted into a deep sleep.

“Goodnight Poppy.”


	6. Chapter Six

“He has to have gone somewhere safe,” Quackity stated. “He’s not a strong fighter so he wouldn’t wander around at night especially with the type of weapons he has.”

“I know that there's a village not too far from here to the east through the large oak forest,” Skeppy commented as he pointed to the map on the table in front of them. “Maybe they’ve seen him pass through or he’s currently staying there.”

“It’s a possibility,” Karl agreed. “But we can’t be certain that he went that way. He could have gone north or south for all we know. We know that there’s nothing to the west of us so he wouldn’t have gone that way.”

Bad was currently sitting on one of the beds with the note in his hand as the others discussed what they should do next. Sapnap was sitting right next to his parental figure and he knew how hard this was to accept. Dream was still struggling to come to terms with what he had done and was spending most of his time on the roof, just searching for any signs of George. He refused to come down so they made a small shelter so he wouldn’t get attacked by phantoms and it was heartbreaking for Sapnap to see him like that. It was starting to affect them greatly because they had no voice of reason when they started fighting. There was no one there to pull them apart when things became physical. George was the glue that held them together and made sure that everyone was okay after a tough day. They were getting very little sleep and they weren’t eating enough. They were a complete wreck and they were only going to get worse as time went on. It had been at least four days since anyone had seen or spoke to George and they really missed him so much.

They were looking for any signs that showed which direction he could have gone but so far, they had zero luck. It was so painful to watch Quackity, Karl and Skeppy throw out different ideas of where he could have gone. It hurt to watch them slowly lose hope as their idea fell apart in front of them and to watch them refuse to rest. It hurt to watch the trio slave away over a dumb map that wasn’t even helping them and tempers were slowly getting worse. Every idea that they had so far had been shot down for one reason or another reason and they were getting nowhere fast. It was frustrating for everyone. Hope was beginning to slowly fade but they tried to not let their minds drift to any of the possible outcomes that could happen.

“What if we split up?” Quackity suggested. “Two of us go north, two of us go south and the final two go east. We can cover more ground that way and we have a better chance of finding him if we do.”

“We can’t risk it,” Skeppy said calmly, knowing full well that they would be useless if they were dead. “We don’t know what is towards the north of us or what is south of us. It is uncharted territory that we would be wandering into and we don’t know where we would end up at. We would be taking a massive risk if we split up and we may even not find him if we do go through with the idea.”

“Skeppy is right,” Sapnap spoke up. “We’ll be useless if we die out after we split up. We’re stronger as a team and we don't know what the hell is out there. The last thing we want is to lose another member of this team because of some dumb decision.”

That was how they ended up in this situation in the first place. If only they talked things through like they were doing now. If only they had explained their reasoning for wanting to keep him safe from harm then maybe he would still be by their sides. 

“Can Bad trace George’s magic in any way?” Karl questioned and this question seemed to catch everyone’s attention. Why hadn’t they thought about that before? Bad was able to trace any form of magic if it was still fresh within the area. “Maybe that could help us figure out which direction he could have possibly gone and we can figure out a plan on what to do from there.”

“It’s something that I can certainly try,” Bad stated, hoping that the magic trail was still fresh enough for him to be able to trace. “But I can’t make any promises.”

“Absolutely not,” Skeppy snapped harshly, concern written all over his face. “You’re still recovering from the last time you used your magic and I won’t have you hurting yourself because you’ve overused your magic.”

“But this might be our only chance,” Bad argued, knowing full well that they were losing time and they were losing time fast. “If we wait any longer, his magic trail will disappear completely and then we’ll have no hope of finding him.”

Bad was right.

They wanted, no, _needed_ to find him before it was too late and this might be the only way they will be able to find him. If they continued to wait around, then George will most likely end up dead somewhere and that was something that they didn’t want to happen. It would break them if they found his body while they were trying to search for him. Yes, Bad was still recovering from the return trip after he teleported him and Skeppy back to the house. However, he had enough magic that he would be fine afterwards but he knew why Skeppy was concerned. Magic was dangerous and overuse could have serious consequences which they all knew too well. George was a perfect example of what overusing your magic could do to you. Bad knew where his limits were and he was feeling up for the challenge. It wouldn’t take him long to be able to find the trail from where he was currently sitting. Yes, there were still risks with this plan but they weren’t considered major risks as far as he was concerned. He would need some more rest afterwards and a good meal to help get his strength back.

“It may be risky Skeppy,” Karl said, wishing he could simply turn back the clocks but he promised that he wouldn’t. He promised Sapnap and Quackity that he would stop messing around with time for his own health. “But Bad is right about this. We are running out of time and it won’t be long before we may lose him forever.”

“Fine,” Skeppy finally relented, realising that there was no other way. He just wanted Bad to be safe especially when it came to magic. He never really trusted magic as he didn’t understand it fully but he trusted Bad and his magic. “Just make sure that nothing bad happens to him or I’ll make your lives a living hell, got it.?”

Quackity held his hands up in defence and Karl just nodded his head in agreement. Sapnap knew that Skeppy would never threaten him because of his connection to Bad but that didn’t mean he wasn’t afraid of him. Skeppy could be as deadly as Techno and Dream if he needed to be or if someone he cared for was in harm's way. He could turn his whole body fully into diamond if he needed to, even though it was a painful process and it took a good few days to reverse.

“Now then,” Bad said as he feels the magic within him begin to rise to the surface. “Let’s find George shall we.”


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so updates may slow down for this story as I'm currently working on two other stories as well as this one. I will make sure to post any chapters that I have finished as soon as they're done and edited.

George woke up the following morning to Poppy gently licking his face, in the hopes that he would wake it. He noticed that he was currently curled up against her and that was the best night sleep he has had in a long time. The soft fur was a comforting feeling and the two large tails acted like two weighted blankets. It felt as though he was sleeping in a nice, warm bed rather than sleeping on a large fox-like spirit who he recently just met. He sat up properly and gently rubbed his eyes before yawning. He felt much better than he did yesterday and he was glad that Poppy had stayed with him. He guessed that he must have given her a new purpose since they met last night. She seemed to be comfortable with being around him and she seemed happy to stay with him. It was weird how much he seemed to trust her even though they just met but he was glad she was here. While he had no idea of what he was, he got the feeling that they were destined to meet at some point but they didn’t know when.

The idea that he was the reincarnation of the previous forest guardian weighed quite heavily in his mind. It was something that he had never considered before and he never really questioned the abilities that he has since he was a kid. While it did help to answer a few questions that he had since childhood, a lot of the questions still floated around in his mind. How long was Poppy waiting for the next reincarnation? It must have been quite a long time since she was so excited to meet George after she realised who he was. Poppy must have waited for a long time, knowing full well that the previous forest guardian had died during his travels. The loneliness she must have gone through while she was waiting must have been heartbreaking for her. She must have spent years on her own, just waiting for the right person to appear so she could help them. He didn’t want to know how long she had spent waiting for him to appear and what it must have been like for her to wait so long.

_ “Good morning George,” _ Poppy greeted cheerfully.  _ “You slept through the whole night and there were no signs of any threats in the area during the night.” _

“Did you get any sleep?” He asked, he was still a bit tired but he wanted to know if she was okay. He felt the need to make sure that she was okay and he didn’t understand why he felt the need to. “You didn’t stay up all night, right?”

_ “I’m a spirit, silly,” _ She answered.  _ “I don’t need to sleep or eat as long as I'm near you. Your energy helps me to maintain my strength so I can protect you when I need to.” _

Well, that just raised a lot more questions as to how she survived for so long without him being close to her. If she needed his energy to survive then how did she survive for so long without him? There must have been a place close by where she lived until he appeared in the forest yesterday. It must have been a strong, powerful place if she was able to survive for so long and he got the sense that it was something she wasn’t ready to talk about. She did mention that the energy had slowly begun to return back to the forest so maybe it was a good sign. But he didn’t know how the forest was getting its energy back and Poppy had told him it was because of him. He didn’t really know what his abilities could do and he did want to learn more about what he could do. Poppy seemed to pick up on this and she watched as he looked down at his hands. She could feel some of the self-doubt that he was feeling and she could tell that he wanted some guidance on what to do.

_ “Do you wanna learn more about what you can do?” _ Poppy asked him which caused him to look up at her.  _ “I can sense that you want to know what you're capable of and what your abilities can do.” _

“I do want to learn more,” George answered her after a short while. “But I don’t know where to start or what I should do to learn more. I had help before from a friend but I still felt as though I didn’t understand my abilities fully and that I still had so much to learn.”

_ “Maybe try and focus on the things you do know,”  _ Poppy suggested.  _ “Try to understand the abilities that you know about first as a starting point. Master kept learning new things about his own abilities and he was already trained before he met me.” _

George was about to say something but he was interrupted by the sound of a wolf’s howl outside. He quickly stood up and made his way outside, with Poppy close behind him. A pack of wolves sat outside with a small injured pup on the ground in front of them. They were asking for his help and George could sense that this little pup didn’t have much time. Poppy just sat down behind him and watched as George carefully picked up the pup in his arms, pressing one of his hands against the fur of the pup. The wolves watched with hope in their eyes as he healed the small pup and they howled in delight when the pup opened its eyes again. The pup licked his face as a thank you which made George giggle at the feeling. He carefully placed the pup back on the ground and watched as it ran back to its parents. He felt a sense of pride deep inside that he was able to do something good for those who needed it. He wondered how the wolves were able to find until he noticed how very different the forest looked since yesterday.

The trees looked so much healthier and their leaves looked so much brighter. The grass looked healthier and it was slowly becoming brighter as the flowers began to grow back. He could see so many more animals wandering around in the distance with their own little families. The whole forest seemed to be thriving a lot more than did before and everything looked so much healthier than it did yesterday. He watched as the animals turned to face him and they all bowed their heads as a sign of respect and as a thank you for saving their home. George didn’t know what to do because Poppy was right. She was right about the effect he was having on the forest but he didn’t want to believe her when she told him. But now that he was seeing the effect he was having, he was in complete shock by the respect he was being shown by the animals and the trees above him as they dropped their apples to the ground. He had believed that he was useless for so long that he didn't realise the amount of power his presence held alone.

Poppy could feel the shock and the pride that ran through his body. This was the first step in George learning what he was capable and now he knew what his presence could do. This showed the power he held deep within himself that wanted to be released so he could do great things. But he had to be willing to take so many risks in order to learn about the power in which he had at his fingertips. It was going to be a long path to walk but Poppy got the feeling that he was prepared to walk that path, now that he was beginning to understand how powerful he could be.

_ “They’re thanking you for saving their home,” _ Poppy told him with confidence.  _ “Most of the animals fled because they couldn’t live here anymore but you saved their home by coming here. They know who you are and they know that you will protect them no matter what comes into their home. That is why the wolves came to find you because they knew that you could save their baby from death if they were able to find you in time.” _

George couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The wolves actively searched for him so he could save the pup from death. The animals respected and they knew that he would protect them because he helped save their home. He didn’t know what he was feeling but he knew that this feeling was something that he wanted to cherish until the day he died. 

_ “This is what your presence does George,” _ Poppy explained to him.  _ “This is the first step you need to understand more about who you are and what you’re capable of. This shows the power that is safely locked away deep inside of you that you can unlock.” _

He glanced back towards where Poppy was sitting and gasped as he noticed that her fur was gently glowing. He watched as she stretched out her wings in an act of pride for her newfound owner and for the newfound forest guardian. Her eyes gently glowed as she looked down at him as she grew to her full size, knowing that it would be okay to do so. He wasn’t scared and he certainly didn’t want to run. This was where he was meant to be. This was who he was the whole time. Yes, he had to learn but he was so willing to learn about the person he was meant to be the whole time. With a loud roar from Poppy, their bond was safely linked. 

_ “Welcome home George, everyone has been waiting for you.” _


End file.
